Free Coffee

So I know this awesome lady.

She works at Starbucks.

She get's free coffee

Today, she gave me a pound of coffee for FREE.

Thank you Mindi.

I'm gonna have some first thing in the morning.

I thought about having some right now, but it's 11:00, so nevermind.

Glasses

I hate glasses. I'm supposed to wear glasses, but I don't. I don't even have a pair of glasses if I wanted to wear them.

But Desi has glasses. She has expensive glasses. They're really nice and look really good on her.

Well, she had glasses. They were expensive. They were really nice and looked really good on her. But not any more. Not since Riley chewed them up. And I mean CHEWED THEM UP!

Not just the frame, but the lenses and all. They are destroyed. Completely unsalvagable. There's no saving them at all. One lens was popped out at scratched all over. One of the little arm things was torn off. The frames were broken in half. Completely ruined.

So now we have to get Desi new glasses, which isn't good. Money is tight right now. Well, for this week really. Things get tough when you change jobs and don't get a paycheck for almost a month. If this would have happened a week from now, no big deal. We would've had enough money to get Desi new glasses, but not right now. But she has to have them. She's using OLD contacts right now because that's all she has. So we have to go spend $300 that we don't have on new glasses.

So Riley's life is really bad right now. Desi is pissed at this dog. I mean really, really angry. Desi didn't just spank when she walked in on the crime. She made Riley sleep in the bathroom all night. She keeps telling her she's a bad dog. She keeps yelling at her to get off thee bed and the couch. She won't let her come into our bedroom or office. She won't pet her. She won't hardly even look at her.

But I still love her. Well, I never really 'loved' her, but I certainly don't hate her on the level Desi does now. So I'll pet Riley and tell her she's a good dog when she does something good. I'll play with her. I'll takke her out and run around with her. I'll let her sit in my lap.

So after about 12 last night, our world changed. Desi no longer has glasses. Our financial situation just got worse(when we literally didn't think it could). We have to buy glasses along with figuring out how to pay a rent and a mortgage and all these bills. Desi hates Riley. Riley fears Desi. I still like Riley. Riley loves me more than ever. And we have to talk to our apartment manager to get an extension to pay our rent.

Could it get any better that this?

Rise!

What a day! What an awesome day!

So here you go.

We had our Sojourn Core/Launch Team gathering this morning. We started off with High's and Low's. This something we do every once in a while. What we do is whoever wants to can share some high's and low's from their week. And our goal is to use this time for us to get to know one another better, and to grow some real deep relationships.

We'll everybody seemed to have some pretty major lows this past week. Every body had something to say about their job, whether is was "I had a hard time with my manager," or "I still can't find a job," or "I may not have a job next month." So some seriously heavy stuff.

What was great is that I had no idea Toby was going to start us off that way this week, and I already had this song planned. It's not really a song, but a short chorus. It goes like this...

I may be down, but I will rise
It may be dark, but God is light

And it was perfect! It was right where everyone was at. We all pretty much had something really bad happen this week, and God had already been planning some encouragement for us.

It felt so right to be right there this morning. I couldn't help that feeling of "This is where I'm supposed to be."

I hope everyone was encouraged this morning the way I was through God's plan. It made me feel like I'm really following God's plan, and He's really leading us through this.

I hope we at Sojourn continue to have these moments that God designs perfectly for us to have Him meet our needs.

Relaxing

It's been a good day so far. Actually, this whole week has been pretty good. Work's been good. Sojourn has been good. People have been good.

But today has been especially good.

Desi and I got up at 9 and went to workout together. After that we hit up the pool. The water felt so good after a good workout. Then we came home, got cleaned up, and had some sandwiches for lunch.

After lunch, we took Riley to the dog park. First we stopped and got her a new ball and halter deal. She's gotten to strong for us to use a normal collar. But here's where things go wrong.

We got to the dog park, which we had never been to before, and couldn't get in. It's that there was anything wrong. You had to have an electronic card to get into the dog park! An electronic key! I don't know why; I don't know where to get one, and the best part, in 2 days, they're taking the electronic key off. In 2 days! They're going to take it off and open up to whoever.

So we just walked around and took Riley down to the lake. But it is so hot today that we only stayed for a few minutes.

Since then, we've just come home and have been relaxing. Desi is taking a nap on the couch. Riley in playing with her new ball. And I'm sitting around sipping Kool-Aid.

That's what I call relaxing!

Mad as a Fire Ant

I'm starting to get angry with my blog. I still can't access the actual url. I can log on and post, like I'm doing now. But I can't go to the actually website. Desi has the same problem. She is also running the same version of Firefox on her Macbook. It was fine for her at work, using IE on a PC. I think this could be the one time I could ever say that a PC may work better than a Mac. No, I take it back. But anywho, this is really getting on my nerves. I want it fixed. The problem is that blogger (with whom I have my blog account) doesn't have a real way to get a hold of anyone. you can just send them an email. That's dumb. I want to talk to someone who can tell me what th problem is. Why do these things have to be so difficult?

What's Wrong

So i've been completely ignoring my blog for the past couple of days because it just hasn't been working for me. I don't know what the problem it. I've emailed support and am waiting to hear back from them. So I'm sorry.

10 Days in Matty 10: Day 9

So again, it’s been a while since our last visit into Mathew 10. Let’s pick up where we left off.

Onward to Day 9 of “Ten Days in Matty Ten.”

This one may turn out to be a bit touchy. But I’m seriously convicted about this, and I feel like it’s the right thing to do.

“What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.” Matthew 10:27

Jesus tells his disciples to keep nothing a secret. He wants them to share everything they have learned, are learning, and will learn. That seems pretty obvious right? Ok, it’s easy to keep nothing a secret in worship, just sing songs about everything. That’s not what I’m talking about.

I’m not talking about sharing what you learn. I’m talking about sharing what you have. Specifically, sharing media between churches. I’m talking about sharing graphics, videos, music, resources, anything. Don’t keep it all for yourselves.

Or, just as bad, don’t make it a profit for yourself. I hate seeing churches that literally sell their graphics and videos. They sell it in packages, or online, or by the video, or whatever. I’ve even seen a church that sold their set lists! They packaged a years worth of songs they did in their services and sell it!

I hate seeing that, especially because they literally charge you $200 for that crap! It’s ridiculous. It’s a rip off!

It also kind of reminds me of that thing that pissed Jesus off when started throwing around tables and yelling at people. Sound kind of similar.

But I really do HATE it when churches do that. I have a huge problem with this for a couple of reasons.

First, as a worship leader, I hope that I can be creative enough to come up with my own set lists. I would hope that I can put together my own song ideas and how to pair them with videos and graphics. Even if I don’t have everything I need to make those same graphics, I can save my church $200 and come up with my own stuff. If not, then I’m sure there is someone in the church who can do graphics.

Second, it just seems like these churches that are selling this stuff are being kind of greedy. It’s always the biggest churches that do it. They charge an arm and a leg for everything from set lists to conferences to even the recordings of sermons.

I can promise you right that as long as I’m here, Sojourn will never be that kind of church. Never. We hope God blesses us, and we hope to be a blessing to other churches because of it. We WILL NOT charge anyone to see our set lists. We WILL NOT charge money for you to download our graphics online. We WILL NOT in any way profit from what God has given us.

One church that does an awesome job of this is Lifechurch.tv. They are fantastic. I mean they have everything. You can download graphics, videos, and even sermon notes all for free. You can even subscribe to their podcasts of the recordings of their set lists performed during their weekend services for free. They literally have everything a church can need all for FREE.

That being said, I don’t know when any of the stuff we do will be available, but it will. I will certainly let you know when that happens.

Later peeps.

You get what you deserve

"Travis Drinks Coffee"
By Travis Williams

See Travis.


See Travis after 4 cups of coffee.


See Travis after coffee goes away.


I guess you get what you ask for. I need a nap

Enjoying It

This is my 7 month old Boxer, Riley.


She's is really enjoying our day bed in my office/guest bedroom. Yes, office/guest bedroom. We moved out of a large 3 bedroom home into a smaller 2 bedroom apartment. So my office shares a bed with Riley.

But what happens when I start my morning email run with Riley laying on the bed?


Almost there...



And she's outta here.

She gets to be lazy and sleep, while I read and reply to emails, update my iCal, listen to Coldplay, and drink my 2nd cup of coffee in 10 minutes.

It's a dog's life.

What a Day!

It has been an awesome day.

Desi and I had our first gathering with the core/launch team for Sojourn. It was great! I led a little worship and we celebrated Brad's b-day and we talked about small groups. It was the first time Desi got to meet any of the core/launch team so I don't expect her to remember any name, I know I didn't after the first time.

After that we went to this Mexican restaurant here called Monterrey's, not Monte Ray's. I had a chicken quesadilla that was made with some really strange tasting cheese. And the reason I'm writing about lunch is beause Toby asked me if I was going to blog about lunch, and I told him yes. So this is just to fulfill my obligation.

After lunch we did something really special. Mindi, Toby's wife, has a friend where she works at Starbucks who just got her first apartment and literally has nothing. She was given a bed and a TV. She didn't have hardly any food; she was given a matress; and she only had one skillet to cook with. Our core team got together to give her whatever we could. It was awesome! We gave her a least a full weeks worth of groceries, along with papertowels, tp, and other stuff like that. Desi and I were able to give her a full set of pots and pans, eating utensils, cups, bowls, plates, towels, washcloths, dishcloths, cookie sheets, and some decorative stuff. We also have some extra end tables we're going to give her. When we surprised her with it she was really grateful. She cried, Mindi cried, Desi cried, and I almost cried. It was awesome to do something like for someone who was so grateful. It was a true blessing for me to be able to be a part of blessing her.

So after we got all emotional, Desi and I walked around Uptown. Uptown, for those of you who don't know, is like downtown Charlotte only it's actually on the north part of the city. So it's not down, it really is up, thus Uptown. Uptown is awesome. It's beautiful and filled with some really cool architecture and art. There's sculpture's everywhere! And there was a play going on in the park that you could watch for free! It is such a great city. I can't to see what God has in store for us here.

After walking around Uptown and worrying about our car getting towed, we came home and ate sloppy joe's. Now, we're going to sit around all night and all morning until I have to go to work. Then Desi will sit around without me.

So that was our great, crazy, busy, fun day. I hope you had a good day too.

Love Hate Relationship

I love it. I hate it.

My cell phone.

At first I loved it because it has windows mobile, and, at the time, I was doing all my work on a PC. Then I didn't have a PC any more. I just had my Mac. But I love Mac, so I am NOT going back to PC.

So I started hating my phone because it was a Pocket PC and I had a Mac.

But now I love it again.

Toby told me today about something I had never hear of.

Missing Sync.

It's a software that can sync my Mac with my Windows Mobile device. It's the most wonderful thing. Now I can sync my iCal with the Windows calender. And I can sync my contacts, tasks, pictures, videos, music, everything! I love it!

I was about ready to trade in my phone for a Blackberry. Now, I'm really happy with what I've got.

Thank you Missing Sync for saving my phone!

Wiped Out

Oh man, what a long day!

I got up at 8:00, did my devotional, worked on some Sojourn stuff, went into work at Buckle early(11:30), and stayed till 7:30. I was only supposed to be there until 4:00. So I worked an extra 3 1/2 hours today. Not a whole lot I know, but it's twice as long as I thought I was going to work. But that's fine, I could use some extra money.

So needless to say, I haven't done a lot today. Sure I worked 8 hours at Buckle and did about 3 hours of Sojourn stuff, but it doesn't feel like I did a lot. So now I am wiped out. Or as Toby and Mindi like to say, I'm toast.

But one great thing about today. Desi gets here tonight! I'm so excited. She should be here in about 2 1/2 hours. I haven't seen her in a week so I'm really ready to see her. Plus, she can take care of Riley (our dog).

But other than having a long day, things are great. Our support is starting to come in. So a huge, huge, huge thank you to all of our supporters! So far, we have raised $1300/month on our goal of $3000! That's truly amazing. And what's ever better is we have had a few people say they want to support us they are just praying about how much! How awesome is that! We've had so many people already give so much, and there's still more people who want to give! Amazing! Desi and I both prayed for God to provide, and boy has He! I can roll off at least 20 people who already have or want to give!

But wait... There's more!

There's a church here in Charlotte that is going to support Sojourn financially and with some a/v equipment!

And there are 2 people that work at Buckle who both told me today that they want to come to the church once we launch!

God is providing in huge ways! Both financially and by sending us people!

So God has been awesome, is being awesome, and will be awesome! I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow. Everyday He does something amazing. I can't even imagine what else He could possibly do.

Getting Busy

I'm so excited! I can't wait! It's gonna be great!

I'm uber excited about planting Sojourn! I'm can't wait to see what happens. Things are starting to happen already!

Toby and I met today just to hang out and talk for a little bit. We went to Starbucks, and I had a mint chacolate chip frappucino or something like that. I was warned that it was a lot of mint, and boy was it! It was good though.

We also went to check out the audio/visual equipment that had been donated to us. It was amazing! Not only were there 3 projectors and screens, 2 full sound systems with wireless mics and speakers and amps, a brand new drum set, and a full on lighting system with LEDs; it was all packed into a huge trailor hitched to a Dodge Ram. All of which has been donated to Sojourn! It was amazing to see! I've honestly never seen a church plant with so much audio/visual equipment. God has really blessed us with a ton of stuff!

That being said, I've already filled up my schedule for the next 2 weeks! I've only been here for like 2 days, and I'm already booked! I'm glad though. If I weren't busy I'd be bored.

Oh, and another big bit of news. Desi and I received our first support check! I was so excited I texted Desi as soon as I opened the letter. My grandmom is awesome! Love you grandmom! She said she was going to support us, I just didn't know that she was going to do it so quick. It's good though, considering that support from other people is my salary!

But so that's the latest. Tomorrow, it's setting up bank accounts and payroll stuff and emails and housing allowances and all the other admin stuff that needs to happen. And best of all...Thursday I begin planning for our first series at Sojourn! "Upside Down Way of God" It's about how God does things upside down of the way we do them. I'm really excited about starting to plan for our first service.

So that's it. Later

10 Days in Matty 10: Day 8

So it’s been a while since our last entry for “Ten Days in Matty Ten.” Let me give a little refresher.

In Matthew 10, Jesus send out his disciples and gives them power to heal and cast out demons. Them he gives them 10 sort descriptions of what the ministry should be. Here’s what we’ve seen so far.

1. Go to the lost sheep. Translated: Make it understandable to non-believers.
2. Preach: The Kingdom of heaven is near. Translated: Reveal God’s plan through worship
3. Heal people. Translated: Make life-change a priority.
4. Don’t bring extra money or clothes. Translated: Don’t worry about having all the cool “stuff”.
5. Find a worthy person to stay with. Translated: Find another worship pastor to connect with.
6. If you aren’t welcome leave. Translated: If you aren’t welcome, leave.
7. Be shrewd and innocent. Translated: Follow the characteristics laid out in Titus 1.

Now to Day number 8.

“But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for It will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” -Matthew 10:19,20

Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about what to say because God will speak through them.

This was probably a big deal for the disciples. The disciples weren’t all the smartest guys you’d ever meet. They weren’t trained traditionally on how to teach. The guys who did the teaching were raised up in the synangogue learning from the best teachers how to teach. The disciples didn’t have a lick of that training. So they were probably really nervous when it came to the thought of teaching by themselves in public.

What does this mean for me? Yes, it means that God will speak through me at the right times. But it also challenges me in worship ministry.

This challenges me not to worry about how good the music sounds or how cool everything looks because God can speak regardless. I shouldn’t be consumed with trying to have the coolest or hippest worship ministry in town. That’s not what I need to try to accomplish. As we mentioned earlier, seeing peoples lives changed is the priority.

But this is by no means whatsoever and excuse to do things poorly. We also mentioned that we should strive to do our best in everything we do. We should try to have the best music, or the best videos and graphics. But we should try to do it the best that we can with what we have. We talked about this before so I’m not going to elaborate. If you do want to know more about that click here.

So I should try to have the best music and videos and such that I can, but it shouldn’t be the goal of my ministry. I have to practice playing and singing and leading, but I shouldn’t do it so people can say, “Hey Sojourn has the best music ever.” I should try to make the best videos I can, but not so that I get any recognition for it.

Like I said earlier, this verse is not an excuse for us to slack off. It doesn’t give us a reason to rest comfortably in our laziness. We must do all things as if done to the Lord. But this is an excuse to try harder, to do better, and to dream bigger.

No more, No more!

I made it! I'm back in Charlotte. After driving from ATL to Charlotte back to ATL and back to Charlotte in 4 days, I am done. I'm not driving anywhere for like 4 hours! Well, I don't know, probably not until tomorrow morning to meet with Toby. But for today, I am done.

Some good news too. I got a job! I'm working at the Buckle at Northlake Mall. It's a clothing store that carries all sorts of great clothes. I worked at the Buckle in Douglasville before so getting the job in Charlotte was easy. Not easy because I'm just that great, but easy because I had already had experience working there. I really liked working there before and I'm glad I get to again. Plus, the clothes are great, and I get a discount to match!

So that's it for now. No more driving. Got a job. And Roco Mediate couldn't finish the upset against Tiger Woods, oh well.

Oh, I almost forgot. "Ten Days in Matty Ten" will pick back up tomorrow. See you then.

Long time no see

So it's been a while. I haven't posted anything on here for what seems to me like an eternity. Let me explain why this is...

I just moved.

That's it. That's why I haven't written anything in a while. Part of moving means that your internet isn't transferred immediately. Also, part of it is that sometimes, the company you already have DSL with doesn't service the apartment you just moved into. So you have to call AT&T to cancel your service with them, and then call up some cable company you've never heard of before to get cable internet. So there's a little bit of a delay there.

Anywho, everything is moved and still in boxes. I've started to settle in and Desi is house hopping in Villa Rica. She doesn't move until this Friday. Oh, and I already have a job interview! I went to the mall in Charlotte, walked into a store, talked to the manager, and had an interview with her 20 minutes later! It was great!

But so that's it for now. See you again soon!

10 Days in Matty 10: Day 7

Alrighty then. Day 7 our of 10 in “Ten Days in Matty Ten.”

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. There for be as shrewd as snaked and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16

Ok, be shrewd and innocent. Hmm…Kind of strange to me. I wasn’t real sure what to do with this one at first. Then I thought. It helps to think. And then I thought of it. Titus 1. This is where we see some guidelines for the lifestyles of elders.

Now for a lot of you “elders” may the men who are one step higher on the church ladder than deacons. Well, I don’t think that’s the original intention of elders. I’m no Biblical scholar, but I have read a good bit on elders and deacons. And here’s what I’ve found. We say full-time pastor, the Bible says elder. The two are the same. So I don’t believe there is supposed to be staff, elders, deacons and members. I believe it’s supposed to be staff (elders), deacons, and members. That’s what I believe based on what I’ve studied, but that a discussion for another day.

The point I’m trying to make is that these guidelines found in Titus 1 are what Jesus is referring to in Matthew 10:16. This is a distinct list…

Be blameless
A husband of but one wife
Father children who believe
Not overbearing
Not quick-tempered
Not given to drunkenness
Not pursuing dishonest gain
Hospitable (which is actually my top spiritual gift)
Loves what is good
Self-controlled
Upright
Holy
Disciplined
Hold firm to the trustworthy message
Encourage others
Refute those who oppose the message

That’s not a very long list when you think about it.

Now I’m not saying I have this whole list down pat. I do only have one wife, but I don’t have any children. I try to be self-controlled, but sometimes I lose my temper in ATL traffic. I try to love what is good, but sometimes I love myself. I try not to pursue dishonest gain, but I’m also ambitious. I try to be disciplined, but sometimes I’m lazy.

So like I said, I’m not perfect. But this list gives me something to strive for in my character. I can look at this lest and easily see which ones I do practice well, and which ones I don’t. Like I said, hospitality is my top spiritual gift, but I get mad in traffic.

At least with this list, I know what it means to be as shrewd as a snake and as innocent as a dove.

I Love These Guys

Robby, Tyler, James, Matt, and Jimmy.

I love you guys. I really do love you. I don't know how else to say it. It's been great seeing you. I don't want to say knowing you because it's not like I never met you now just because I'm moving.

Just to let the rest of you know, these are the pastors of the church my wife and I have been members at for the past year. These guys really are awesome. Tyler is the lead pastor. James is the teaching pastor. Robby is the worship pastor. Matt is the student pastor. And Jimmy is the children's pastor. Seriously, great guys.

This past Sunday was my last Sunday serving at Westhills. And today, I had my last lunch with Robby. Robby and I usually go to lunch together once a week. And every Thursday we join the other guys and a bunch of other pastors and friends in Villa Rica for lunch. Good times. But today was the last supper. Well, it was lunch, but it was good. Robby and I talked, ate, laughed, ate some more, and made fun of the waitress because she lied and told us they had root beer when they didn't. But it was a lot of fun.

Oh, and these guys gave Desi and I $100 in BP gift cards for our drive to Charlotte! What's great is that they had no idea that Desi and were freaking about paying diesel gas prices right now, and so that is a HUGE blessing. And they didn't even know! We didn't ask for it; they just gave it to us!

So I will miss seeing these guys every time I have lunch. I'll have to video conference in for lunch on Thursdays or something. We'll see.

But I will see you guys again soon. Maybe sooner that you think. Don't quote me though, $100 in gas only goes so far these days. But until then...

TTFN!

10 Days in Matty 10: Day 6

The day after day number 5, also known as day 6 in "Ten Days in Matty Ten."

This one is just plan weird. And probably the hardest of all. Let's just jump right into it, and you'll see.

"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town." Matthew 10:14

Basically what Jesus tells his disciples is that if they aren't welcome, then leave.

Basically Jesus is telling us, "If you aren't welcome, then leave."

What? Am I serious? Yeah, I am. Jesus told his disciples that if they were not welcome in a town then they should just leave. He actually says to "shake the dust off your feet." When I think of shaking the dust off my feet, it makes me think that I am leaving everything just as I found it. Like I'm not supposed to take any part of that place with me. But back to leaving when not welcome.

This really sucks. It just does. But I've been in this situation twice within the past year.

The first time, I was on staff a church that I really didn't know a whole lot about. Yeah, not a good situation to start with. I knew the other staff kind of alright, but I didn't know a lot about the church. Well, needless to say, before too long, I wasn't very welcome. Now, it wasn't like I started hating anyone there or anyone started hating me. It really wasn't about any bad relationships. Actually there weren't any bad relationships and still aren't. It just wasn't the place for me to be.

Another time, I was asked to be invovled in, what we will call for the purposes of this blog, a ministry venture. Some people asked me to join them and be a part of what they wanted to do. I said yes, and we began this process. Well, after some time it became apparent, we shall say, that I wan't the person for this particular ministry venture. So I was asked, for lack of a better term, to leave. It wasn't that I was asked to leave, but that's the only way I know how to say it. Again, it was nothing bad. No broken relationships or revealed secrets. It just wasn't where I was supposed to be, again.

I'm not gonna lie. Both of these situations were really tough. In one, I didn't want to be there and was asked to leave. In another, I really wanted to be there and was asked to leave. It was hard. I didn't want to leave either of them, but I wasn't welcome. So I had to leave. But it was really, really hard. Certainly brought on some of the hardest times of my life.

So when I say, "If you aren't welcome, then leave," I have a little experience in that. One of those situations was my full-time job, and leaving that left me with no job and no money. So I sure know how hard it can be to leave. It actually happened just months before I got married. So there I was, no job, no money, and about to have a wife whom I couldn't provide for. But God provided.

God really took care of us. Part of that is of course God's promise to take care of us, and grace for providing for us when we were in need. But looking back, I think part of the reason God blessed us like He did is because when I wasn't welcome, I just left. Like I said it was hard, but it was the right thing to do. Staying in those situations could have made things worse than they were. Relationships could have been broken, but they weren't. In fact, my relationships with those people involved are actually better now.

So that's a lot, I know. But I do believe it is Jesus' instructions for us.

If I'm not welcome, then leave.

10 Days in Matty 10: Day 5

Day Numero Cinco of “Ten Days in Matty Ten.”

This one is very important. Everyone needs this one. It doesn’t matter who you are. It doesn’t matter if you’re a youth pastor, worship pastor, or lead pastor. And it doesn’t matter if you’re the pastor of the smallest church in your city, or the largest church in the world.

“Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.” Matthew 10:11

I, as a worship pastor, must find another worship pastor to connect with.

This is such a big deal. It really is. But it gets overlooked so often. One of the best relationships we can have is with someone who knows exactly how it feels to be us. I can talk my best friends ear off about what’s going on at Sojourn, and he may be able to give some advice, but he won’t really understand what I’m talking about. I could tell my wife what my struggles are as a worship pastor. She will definitely sympathize, but she won’t completely feel the way I feel.

But if I have a close relationship with another worship pastor, then he will understand why I have certain struggles. He may have even dealt with the same struggle and be able to really shed some light on my situation. He could give me some advice as a worship pastor, that my friend would only be able to give me as a friend, or my wife as a wife. He could encourage me do things that others wouldn’t have thought of. He could give me fresh ideas on ministry. He may have tried something that I want to try, and he could guide me through it. He could have gone through something before that I’m going through now.

Another big part of it is that there are certain things I could share with another pastor that I just couldn’t share with just anyone else. There are certain things I just can’t tell my best friend about when it comes to ministry. I can’t tell my dad everything. Some things I can’t even tell other pastors about. But if I have one select pastor to share with, then he could give some really good advice on the situation.

But I have to be selective on who that person is. Jesus tells us to find a “worthy person.” A person who can be trusted. A person with whom I can be honest. A person who will be honest with me. Some one who has centered their life around Christ. Some one who has a growing relationship with God. And, here’s a big one, some one who has more experience than I do. This is the type of worship pastor I need to have a deep relationship with.

Like I said, this is a big deal. All of the greatest pastors I know have someone that they talk to regularly to share the victories, failures, triumphs, and struggles of ministry. I’d be stupid to think that I could go at this alone and survive. I can’t, so I won’t try. God has given us the Holy Spirit so that we know we can’t do it alone.

I want to thank all the people who have been there for me. Danny is an awesome guy. He gave me my first glimpse into worship ministry. He taught me the foundations of what I know of being a worship “Pastor”. Algernon is amazing. He taught me what it meant to really get into God’s word. He taught me to read it for what it really is. Alive. Tommy was a huge inspiration for me. He was the first church planter I really got to know. He took under his wings and taught me as he learned. It was through him that God really gave me a desire to church plant. And then there’s Robby. Robby is the latest person God has brought into my life. Robby is a wonderful worship pastor. He knows what it takes to have a worship ministry done with excellence on a smaller scale. Robby is the worship pastor of a now 3 year old church. Every weekend Robby puts together a set of songs that is right on with what God wants people to hear. They don’t have some huge budget, but Robby doesn’t let that stop him. He takes what he has been given, and uses it to it’s fullest potential.

A huge thanks to all of these guys. You have been a huge influence in my life, all for different reason. God has used each of you to teach me something different during a certain time in my life. I can’t imagine what it would be like to not have met you and have you in my life. You are the guys I come to when I need to have some one close. Thank you.

10 Days in Matty 10: Day 4

Let’s get rolling with Day 4 of “Ten Days in Matty Ten.”

Honestly, this one slammed me. I mean it hit me hard. This has been plagueing me since I read it. It’s hard for me. I have to really try hard at this one.

“Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in you belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.” Matthew 10:9, 10

I read this and thought, “Oh no.” This is God’s command for me not to worry about having the “stuff”, like lights, cool graphics, or a full band, that makes a “great” worship experience.

Ok, I read this and thought, “But as a church planter, I don’t have any equipment. So I have to think about getting that stuff.” Then I stopped and realized what I had just said. In church today, if you don’t have the latest technology, the coolest videos, or the best music, you aren’t doing worship ministry right. Seriously, like it or not, we believe that! I believe it! If my worship experience is not on the level of a Northpoint Community, or Willow Creek, then I need to step up to the plate, or I’m not doing things to the best level I can.

Here’s what we forget. God tells us to do our best with what we have, not what we want to have. If I don’t have the super computer to run the super software, then don’t try to fake it. I’ll take my four year old Mac iBook G4 and my original Adobe Photoshop and rock it out. God didn’t tell us that we have to do things as good as somebody else. He told us to do it the best that we can. I’m not Chris Tomlin, so guess what, I’m can’t do what Chris Tomlin does. I’m not at Northpoint, so guess what, I won’t do things the way Northpoint does them. I’m at Sojourn, so I am going to do things the way we do them at Sojourn.

But I’m not gonna lie. This is really hard. Northpoint and Willow Creek and Fellowship Church have really influenced my vision for worship ministry. I love technology. I’m a technology geek. My degree is in audio engineering, so technology is a huge part of my education, career, and life. But I have to realize where God has me right now. I have to remember that I’m at a starting point. I’m not 10 years down the road. I have to remember that we don’t have the resources to have all the good “stuff.”

But that certainly doesn’t mean that I don’t dream about where I want to be. Dreaming is what keeps your vision moving and growing. You have to dream. But you can’t let your expectations of the future die because of your present capabilities. If you don’t dream you don’t have a vision. After all, isn’t what a vision is, a dream? Your vision is what you want to accomplish. It’s what you goal is. But we also have to dream big. I dream of a worship ministry that is a level above Northpoint or Willow Creek or Fellowship. And I’l put my own twist on it. But right now I dream of the future, but I plant and execute in the present to get to that future.

So that’s that. But again, I really struggle with this. It’s really, really hard for me. I’ve been on staff at a church before that had the technology and had the videos and had the music. So it’s hard not to expect things to be the same way somewhere else. But that’s why I dream. That’s why I have a vision.

Tee Time

It's a great day for golf! I have a 12:00 tee time, and I can't wait. It's been almost a month since I last played some golf! That's a seriously long time for me. But now, I have to go put on clothes I don't really like, drive a long ways to get there. Then I have to wear myself out, get real sweaty, just so I can realize that I am not good at golf. But it's fun to dream...And that reminds me...more on dreaming later today. See you after I get done shooting 72 after 9 holes.

10 Days in Matty 10: Day 3

So here we are on day three of 10 Days in Matty 10.

I’m really excited about this one. This is going to be great. As I read through Matthew 10 the first time I got really excited when I read Jesus’ words.

“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8

Jesus tells his disciples to heal people. Heal them. That’s awesome. He has given them the ability to heal! Wow! They could heal sickness, cure disease, and drive out demons. That’s a pretty sweet gig. That would just be amazing. So how do we heal people in worship? Well, we hit on this a little bit yesterday.

We make life change a priority.

We focus not only on life itself, but also on life change. We focus on celebrating what God has done in people. When people rise victorious over drug and alcohol addiction, we praise God for it. When someone makes a decision to follow Christ, we celebrate it. We make videos, and let people share first hand how God has changed them. We celebrate the crud out of it.

But there’s also a big problem that could rise.

What if life change isn’t happening?

I’ve seen this plague too many churches. They put all their efforts into growing the size of the church, or having enough ministries, or they focus on their budget (trying to get more money). I’ve seen it all over the place, in Georgia, Florida, California, and a lot of other places. It really sucks to see it happen. But what can we do to keep this from happening in our churches?

First, we need to remember this commission to heal people. We need to keep Matthew 10:8 at the forefront of our ministry. If we keep a keen eye on healing people, then life change will happen.

Second, we need to remember what Jesus accomplished on the cross. He didn’t just take our sins; he remedied our relationship with God. It’s only because of Jesus that we are reconciled to God. If we stay focused on what Jesus accomplished then we will focus on seeing others reconciled.

Third, we need to remember that God has freely given us this gift. He gave us the gift and told us to use it. We are supposed to go out and heal. “Freely you have received, freely give.” Jesus has commanded us to heal, so we better get on it.

Heal people. We get to be a part of seeing God heal peoples lives. I truly desire for God to use me to show His life changing power.

Tomorrow, we will look at Jesus’ call to trust.

Relative Truths

I’m going to go ahead and warn you. This is long. But it’s a good read. At least I think so, but then again I did write it.

Before you start assuming (‘cause we all know what that does) let me explain. I’m not trying to promote relative truth, that’s not what this is about. Well, it kind of is. What I want us to look at are some "relative truths" that we call something else. We call them “God’s call into ministry.”

Everyone thinks them. Everyone says them. And probably everyone believes them. There are certain things that we believe are true for “ministers” but not for everyone else. For whatever reason, tradition, history, or selfishness, we believe that “ministers” must live up to certain standards to be “ministers.” And anyone who is not a “minister” is immune to these standards.

No going to bars.
No going to parties.
No drinking period.
No checking out women.
No cable TV allowed in the home.
Must read the Bible every day.
Must keep a journal of what they read.
Must let everyone else see that journal.
Must have a deeper spiritual walk than anyone else.
Must be well groomed.
Cannot have tattoos.
Cannot have piercing.
Etc. Etc. Etc.

There’s a lot more that could be added. But there are some major ones that I listed up there. Things like no drinking period, no checking out women, must let everyone read their journal, must have a deeper spiritual walk than anyone else. None of these things are bad standards. I’m just tired of seeing “ministers” be the only ones that anyone expects to live up to them.

No drinking
I understand completely the deal with no drinking. We don’t want anyone to see us drinking and it cause him or her to stumble in their faith. That’s a great point. I don’t drink for that exact reason. But the problem is that everyone else can drink, and it’s ok. No one cares if Joe in Sunday school goes to the bar and throws back a couple after work. But if Pastor John does it, he’s out and his ordination is stripped away. I’ve literally seen that happen. That’s dumb. If you claim to be a Christian, you are just as responsible for others salvation as a minister. You are called to show people God’s love for them just like ministers.

No checking out women.
This is a no brainer. Of course we shouldn’t check out other women, especially if we are married. Single guys can get away with it a little more as long as it’s not obsessive or a look at the wrong things and so one. But other married men in the church aren’t scorned as sharply as “ministers” are. People say, “Oh, it’s just natural to desire the opposite sex.” But if a minister even looks at another women, it’s all over.

Must have a deeper walk than anyone else
Again, I see the point in this standard. A “minister” is supposed to lead people. He is responsible for their spiritual journey. God says that all “ministers” will give an account on how they led. And by the way, that’s a huge burden to carry. It’s freaks me out every day. But the problem is what we believe about our spirituality compared to the “minister’s.” We tell ourselves. “Oh, he’s a minister. I’ll never be a s spiritual as he is.” That’s so dumb. But what’s worse is when we use it as an excuse to be lazy in our spiritual walk. We say we will never be that deep, and so we never try to get to another level. We stay here because we can’t get there. That’s stupid. We should all strive to be thee most Christ-like person we can be. No one is perfect, not eve “ministers.”

So the point I’m really tiring to get across is that all Christians, “ministers” or not, really are ministers. All of us. An ordination doesn’t matter to God. If you had a chance to witness and didn’t, you will be held accountable. So get ready. It’s time we all realized that we are all witnesses for God, no matter if we do it vocationally or not.

!0 Days in Matty 10: Day 2

So here we are. Day 2 of "Ten Days in Matty Ten." Click here for more...

So yesterday we talked about going to the lost in our worship. Today we look at the topic Jesus told his disciples to speak about.

"As you go, preach this message: "The kingdom of heaven is near."


The second thing that Jesus said should describe their ministry in their message, "The kingdom of heaven is near." So again we have a question. How can I "preach" that the kingdom of heaven is near in worship?

I recently read a book called "Future-Ancient Worship." It was a pretty good book. Heavy on theory; light on practicality. But it definitely inspired me. The idea of the book is that the early church told God's story in their worship. They told the story of the beginning when God created the earth. They told the story of what God had been doing in the earth. They told the story of what God is doing now. And they told the story of what God would do. And right here is this verse, Jesus is telling his disciples to tell the story of what God will do. So how does that happen in worship?

We tell the story of what God will do. It's that easy. Well not really. But there are a lot of ways to do this.

The easy way to do this is to sing about what God will do. Sing about how Christ is coming again or how God will soon crush Satan under our feet. Or we can show videos of ways God has blessed us in the past and use them to show people that we believe God will bless us in the future. Or we can do a number of other things. But there's one thing that we are leaving out.

We can show people what God has planned for their life.

All to often this is left to the preacher. We expect the preacher to give the alter call at the end of the message. Or we expect the preacher to tell people how his message is applicable to their life. But we rarely if ever do this in worship. Now, this is a little hard to nail down on how to do, but here's what I've come up with...

We can show people God's plan for their life by making our worship service an environment that best reflects the kingdom of heaven. No one really knows what heaven is like, I know I don't have a clue. But scripture does give us some good ideas. Music, light, gold streets, worship, no fears, no tears. We can reflect this in our worship. We can have music(really?) and lights, and we can paint the floor gold(just kidding, unless you really want to, then go for it!), and we can worship. But seriously, we can strive to represent what heaven will be like.

A huge way to show people what God has planned for their life is through showing real life change. I love seeing videos of some one's testimony. This weekend, a 15 year old girl shared about how God has blessed despite her sickle cell anemia. That really got the place stirring. It moved people. She got a standing ovation. And you know what else? It revealed to people how selfish they are. They responded with life change of their own.

So that's just a couple of ideas of how to share "The kingdom of heaven is near" in our worship. Tomorrow we will look at God's call to heal people(Matthew 10:9, 10).

Hope

I just read Matthew 11:1-19. It rocked me. I mean rocked me hard. Things aren't easy for Desi and I trying to move to Charlotte. People haven't done things they said they would, and jobs just aren't working out. It's stressing us out to no end. But after reading Matthew 11:1-19, I see that even an amazing man like John, whom Jesus says there is no one like, still went through some serious crap.

John was in prison and asked Jesus if he was really the guy everyone was waiting for. Of course Jesus says, "Yes." Then Jesus turns to a crowd and tells them that John was the 2nd Elijah, and that there has never been anyone on earth like John. But John stayed in jail. This is what I wrote in my journal after reading this...

I'm right there with John. I'm in a bad spot. Things look pretty grim right now. I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't even see an end. I don't know what to do. What more can I do? What else is there to do. Desi's stressed and I can't help. It makes me feel so helpless. I need help. There's nothing more that I can do, but there's always something God can do. God can provide Desi with a job. He can provide me with a job. He can provide us with more support than we could even imagine.

But it's hard to believe that when you can't see it. It's hard to believe in any good when all you see in bad. It's hard to believe in light when all you see is darkness.

But I've seen light come out of the darkness. I've seen peace in stressful situations. I've seen money come in when it's needed. I've seen God succeed when man failed. I've been hurt, then shown love. I've seen God's provision first hand. He's taken care of us before, so why should I doubt He would do it again? He has provided. He is providing. And He will provide.

I've been given hope before, and now I take it.

I will not be shaken. I will not lose faith. And I will not give up on hope!

I know I'm not the first person to feel this helpless. And I know I'm not the first to try to rise above it. But this is the first time I've felt like this so strongly. But thanks to Matthew 11:1-19, I will never again have an excuse to lose faith in God. My hope now is that you don't either.

!0 Days in Matty 10: Day 1

So here we are. Day one of “Ten Days in Matty Ten.” You can click here to find out more about “Ten Days in Matty Ten.”

“Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel…” –Matthew 10:6

The first thing Jesus tells his disciples to do is go to the lost. He says it himself. He says the sick need a doctor not the healthy. He tells his disciples to live this out too. He tells them to go to the lost sheep, not to the ones that have been found. We are obviously to do the same. But how does that work in worship ministry?

I think the first way that we can live this out in worship is in the things we create for a worship experience. Things like graphics, videos, dramas should be done with the same excellence that anything else out there is. We shouldn’t slack one bit. We should strive for the best. They should also be relatable. People should be able to see a drama and see themselves in the same situation. Dramas about a little boy being in trouble at school and his dad sitting down and talking to him, then the little boy says, “You’re right Daddy, I’m sorry,” aren’t relatable. Everyone knows that’s not how it works. The boy comes home and starts arguing with his parents about it, and the parents just don’t know what to do. That’s real. That’s what our videos and dramas need to portray.

Another way is in the words we use during a worship service. This can really go for talking period. People who didn’t grow up in church don’t know words and phrases like “redeemed,” “consecrated for God’s will,” or even what “salvation” means. I can replace those words with others they do know like “forgiven,” “set apart,” and saved by grace.” Using words people understand will help them understand God’s sacrifice and forgiveness for their own lives. If they don’t understand our words, they won’t understand God’s plans for them.

A third way to “go to the lost” is in songwriting. I love songwriting. It’s something God has given me the ability to do. The hard part is writing songs that non-Christians can understand. This is a lot like using words they understand, but it’s just a step further. When I write a song, I try to write it in a way that sounds like the music people listen to, and also has something that matters to their life. Like feeling helpless but finding hope. Too many hymns are confusing for non-Christians today. Don’t get me wrong; they’re amazing songs with amazing truth. But so many people just don’t get them. They feel like they can’t connect with hymns. So writing songs people can understand and relate to is extremely important.

So these are just a couple of things we can do to help our worship ministry “go to the lost.” Tomorrow we will see how to preach the message, “The Kingdom of God is near” in our worship.

The Next Ten Days

I've been reading through Matthew for the past couple of months. It's been great. I've really learned a whole lot through this time. But here's what happened recently.

I've been stuck on Matthew 10 for a couple of days now. It's the one that's titled "Jesus send out the twelve." Well, it's pretty phenomenal. I love it. Like I said, I can't get away from it. Basically, this is where Jesus tells the disciples what to do. He kind of gives them the description of their ministry. So this inspired me. I thought, "What is God's description of my ministry?" So I read through Matthew 10, again, and got a list of 10 specific things Jesus told the disciples to do. Then I thought, "How do these things translate in worship ministry?"

So here's what we're going to do. For the next 10 days, I'm going to write about these 10 things. One each day for the next 10 days. It will be called, "Ten Days in Matty 10." (I have nicknames for all the disciples. It's fun; you should try it some time.) Each day I will talk about one of the descriptions of the disciples ministry and how it translates into the way I do worship ministry. This should be fun. But first things first.

Here is the list of the 10 things...

1) Go to the lost(v.6)
2) Preach: The Kingdom of God is near(v. 7)
3) Heal people(v. 8)
4) Don't bring money or extra clothes(v. 9, 10)
5) Find a worthy person to stay with(v. 11)
6) If you aren't welcome, leave(v. 14)
7) Be shrewd and innocent(v. 16)
8) Don't worry about what to say. God will speak or you(v. 19, 20)
9) Don't keep anything secret(v. 27)
10) Don't fear men; fear God(v. 28)

Some of those sound strange for worship ministry, I know. But just give me a chance. Anywho, those are the Big 10. Well, maybe the 10 commandments should be called the "Big 10" but oh well. So let's start "Ten days in Matty 10." Later today actually. For now, I must go for a run, take a bath, take out the trash, and fold laundry. So come back later today, and we will begin our journey.

Very Strange

So I'm at home by myself with Riley, my dog. Desi and I have packed all of our movies and such, so the only thing to do is watch tv, play around on the computer, read, and other things that will only catch my interest for a few moments.

Well, out of my boredom, I have come to love Photobooth. I took these while watching "World's Most Amazing Videos" on Spike

.
This is really pretty terrifying. I look like a ghost that is about to eat someone!




I look like a dead guy in a comic strip! Cool!



I look like I just got punched and someone decided to sketch it real quick. Ouch!



Did we really come from monkeys?



Or maybe it was rats?

I really hope I never get this bored again.

I Think I cried...

I think I cried myself to sleep last night. I'm not sure if it really counts as crying myself to sleep because it was only a couple of tears. Not really crying like I sobbed or wept or anything like that, but a couple tears fell. See, yesterday, Desi and I went to our friends wedding. Chris and Kelly are two great friends of ours, and they got married yesterday! It was a great wedding. We had so much fun.

But last night was the last time we will get to see Chris and Kelly for probably a long time. They're moving to San Diego, CA to plant a church. They get back from their honeymoon and go straight there. They're in Jamaica(I think) right now. But next week they will be in San Diego.

It was also our last time to see Kevin and Susan and their kids, Blake, Maggie, Brittany, and Ellenor. Desi and I love everyone of these people so much. I already miss them. Kevin and Susan are driving to San Diego right now. Blake leaves in a couple of days. Maggie and Brittany leave Saturday. And Ellenor left today as well.

So like I said, I kind of cried. I didn't really cry because I'm so stinking excited for these guys. They're going to a place that is so void of God, and they're going to do His work there. I know God has huge plans for these guys because they believe He can do huge things. I know this isn't goodbye forever, but it is goodbye for a while.

So everyone, Desi and I are praying for all of you and that God would bless you all in a way that only He can. We miss you already. I know Desi does because she cried a lot at the wedding last night. I know we'll keep in touch, and it better be a lot. I hope the next time we see eachother so much has changed that only God can be thanked. Love you and miss you all.

Oh, Chris. I saw this picture and thought those were the two best looking guys at your wedding. So I just wanted you to know... YOU'RE HOT!!!